Mrs. Independent: Part Two

Chapter Four: News

Chapter Four: News

I feel movement against me and I shift slightly, pulling my head back, startled as to who's waking me up.
I force my eyes open, my eyes meeting green eyes that look like they just opened for the day as well.
Did we really pass out on the couch?
I lift my arm to look at the time, my eyebrows raising from surprise.
It's noon.
Josh yawns loudly and then buries his face in my hair, squeezing me against his chest. 
I yawn against his shirt and shove the blanket off of me.
I'm sweating. He's like a walking furnace.
"What time is it?" He mumbles.
"Twelve." I say, pushing myself into an upright position.
Lucy is no longer on the couch. I run my fingers through my hair and lean forward, hitting the home button on my phone.
I have a missed call from the house phone.
Frowning, I pick up my phone and unlock it, clicking on the voicemail to read it since my phone transcribes it for me.
"Mom, Dad left. When are you coming home?"
That call was two hours ago. The house phone is in the kitchen. I sigh and set my phone back down, reaching down to pull off my sweatshirt. My tank top starts coming up with it as I feel Josh's hand pull it back down so I can get my tank off all the way.
I stand up and stretch, and then I turn to Josh.
"I'm going upstairs."
"Wait." He grabs my hand to stop me. I look down at him. "I love you." He says.
"I love you too." I say. I run my fingers through his unruly hair and walk out of the living room.
I make my way upstairs and go to the bedroom. I do my business and wash my hands and then soak my tooth brush and put toothpaste on it. I brush my teeth, and then my hair.
I open the door to the bedroom and vaguely hear voices down the hall.
Josh and I never sleep this late. I wonder what the kids are doing.
Caiden's door is ajar and I hear a couple of voices in there.
I reach out and push the door open. All four kids are in here and Emma's eyes are puffy. Caiden is typing on my MacBook.
"What are you guys doing?" I ask.
Four heads snap in my direction.
"You're home." Caiden says. "Dad left. When did you come home? Did you tell Dad to get out? You're getting divorced, aren't you?"
I run my fingers through my hair and walk further into the room.
"Listen, I know that fight was bad, but just because we got mad at each other doesn't mean we're getting divorced."
"But you guys never fight." Emma sniffles.
"We fight sometimes. We get into disagreements. Marriage isn't all happiness, you guys."
"Yeah, but you left." Bryson whispers.
"I know. I knew I left, I just needed a couple of hours to calm down."
"When did you get back?" Emma asks.
"At four something this morning."
"Where's Daddy?" She continues.
"He's downstairs. Or upstairs. I don't know, but he's here somewhere. He never left."
"But when I went into your room this morning you guys weren't in there." Matt says.
"We were on the couch."
"Together?" Emma's eyes widen.
I sigh and walk over to her, giving her a hug. Since I'm standing and she's sitting, she rests her head against my chest and wraps her arms around my waist.
"Yes honey, together. Daddy and I love each other very, very much. It's going to take a lot more than one fight to break us up. I think it would take the whole world to break us up."
"So you guys are good again? But I didn't hear any yelling." Caiden says.
"Because we weren't yelling." I say. "That fight last night was just one big misunderstanding. It had nothing to do with any of you. Besides, Daddy wouldn't have left because he would never break the pact."
"What pact?" Emma asks, pulling out of the hug to look at me.
"We made a pact when Caiden was a baby that we never leave the house or go to sleep without saying I love you and we never go to bed angry at each other."
"Why?" Caiden asks.
I sigh slowly.
"What if I said something mean to him and then something happened to him?" I ask. "I would never forgive myself."
They're all quiet for a couple of seconds, and then Emma stands up.
"I hope when I get married, my husband loves me as much as Daddy loves you."
"If he doesn't sweetie, you don't marry him."
We're quiet for a few more seconds.
"Oh, Nana called." Caiden announces. "She wanted me to tell you to call her. Something about going to the city for dinner. Uncle Liam and Aunt Claire are going. I guess she needs to talk to everyone."
I sigh quietly.
"Alright. I'll call her."
I leave the room and go downstairs. Josh is in the kitchen now and I smell coffee. He doesn't notice my arrival.
I pick up my phone and dial my Mom.
After three rings, it stops.
"Hey Katherine."
"Hey." I say. Josh turns at the sound of my voice. "Caiden said you wanted me to call you?"
As if on cue, all four kids enter the living room.
"Yes. Can you guys come for dinner tonight?"
"Who? Me and Josh or-"
"No, all of you. The kids too."
I hesitate.
My brother has three kids, and Claire has two.
That's nine people including my four, and then add seven for the adults and my Mom. Sixteen people in her small one bedroom apartment?
"Katherine?" She asks.
"I mean, yeah we can come. Aren't you worried about how loud it's going to be though?"
She's quiet for a moment.
"Well...can we do it at your house?"
I sigh. I knew she was going to ask that.
Josh and I haven't been food shopping in so long.
"What time?" I ask, thinking about how badly I need to clean.
"Three?" She asks.
Three? It's twelve thirty!
"Can we do four?" I ask hopefully.
"I mean, I guess so." She says.
"Okay. You'll tell everyone? Let me know if it's too far for them. If it is, we can come out to you guys."
"Mom, I want to go to the city." Matt says. "Can we do it at Nana's?"
I wave him off.
"Actually Katherine, lets just do it at my apartment. Your house is too far away."
Guaranteed she just heard Matthew. The woman will do anything to appease her grandkids.
"Alright." I say.
"At three." She adds.
"Alright." I say. "That's fine. We'll be there."
"Thanks."
The line clicks.
"Who was that?" Josh asks.
"My Mother. She wants us to come to her apartment for dinner."
"Who is going?"
"My siblings and their kids. And all of us."
"She's going to get yelled at by her neighbors." Josh says.
"Yeah, I know. Anyways, we need to be there by three which means we need to leave by one thirty. We have less than an hour, so everyone start getting ready."
My cell phone starts ringing again and I hit answer.
"Hello?"
"Hey." Mom says. "Yeah you're right, my apartment is too small for all the grand babies to be comfortable. Can we come to your house?"
"Yes, but don't come at three. We need to clean."
"Don't clean. It's just family."
"Oh no, we're cleaning." I say. "Tell everyone four."
"Alright. Who is paying for dinner?"
I run my fingers through my hair.
"I will."
"What are we having?" She asks.
"I don't know. I'll figure it out."